Well Kept Secrets
by TechnicolorZebra
Summary: The one person who knows Riley the best is the one person he tries to keep a secret.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This idea came to me since I've always wondered what Riley's home life is like, and since the writers don't give much insight, I've come up with what I think it's like. Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

--

Peter and Riley were walking from school to Riley's house and Riley was growing more nervous with every step. It was rare that he would let anyone even see where he lived, considering it wasn't exactly a wonderful place. It was just a tiny apartment. But this was Peter and he just hoped that he wouldn't judge him for it.

Walking up the stairs to the place, Riley refused to meet Peter's eyes. Opening the door, his fear was replaced by something else entirely.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"It's the living room and I am living," a petite blonde answered back.

"You said you were going to go out with your friends. Because apparently you somehow have friends," he explained.

Ignoring the last part of his statement, she answered, "I am. Later. I'm getting my fourth belly button piercing. What color should I get it, green or silver?"

"Who are you?" Peter asked, extremely confused.

"You're right, silver's too bland. I'll have to go with green," she murmured to herself. Then, in response to his question, she answered, "I'm Lindsey. Professional annoyer of him." She motioned towards Riley. "Or you can just call me his little sister."

Peter turned to Riley, "You have a little sister?" he asked.

"Yes, one who's supposed to be gone right now," Riley responded with an irritated look directed at Lindsey.

"It's my house too and you can't tell me what to do," she said, "The only one who can tell me what to do is mom, and she's never home."

"Did she leave a note?" Riley asked.

"Yeah," she started, turning to grab the note in question, then turned around and read, "'Riley and Linds'- see, she doesn't even have the courtesy to write my full name. Ooh, she can write your name, it has five letters, but seven letters are too exhausting to write- anywho, 'Riley and Linds, Out on date, find food.'"

"Charming," Riley said, rolling his eyes.

"This mac and cheese is going to go bad if we don't eat it now," she told him.

"I'll have some later," Riley mumbled.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You can't eat in front of people," she said, clearly mocking him.

"Shut up!" he yelled, throwing a pillow at her.

Ignoring this, she turned to Peter and said, "It's because he eats so much. It embarrasses him. Like one time, we bought two pizzas and I turned around to get a paper plate and when I looked back, they were gone. Then I looked over at him and he had both boxes and had already eaten, like, half the pizza."

Riley flushed red and said, "When are you going to get groceries, It's your turn."

"Soon. I just got money from dad," she told him.

"You still take money from _him_?" Riley said with a dark look on his face.

"Just because you hate him doesn't mean I have to."

"He left us!" Riley reminded her.

"He's getting better. He's been sober for six years!"

"It's different. You were eight when he left. You can't remember. I was eleven, so I do," he told her.

"You're just too stubborn for your own good," she mumbled.

"Look, can you just leave us alone?" he pleaded.

"Why, so you can make out with your boyfriend?" she teased sarcastically.

Both boy's faces paled, "He's not my boyfriend!" they yelled.

"Okay, geez. I was just kidding," she said defensively, throwing her hands in the air, "Besides, you won't even know I'm here. I'll just be sitting here on the ledge in the kitchen."

Realizing this was the best reaction he was going to get out of her, Riley left it at that and just tried to ignore her. Eventually, Peter had to go home and as soon as the door shut, Riley was running to his room to clear his head.

A/N: So there's the first chapter! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey! So, thank you so much for all the nice reviews! I really appreciate them! Enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

From downstairs, Lindsey heard the crash of what she assumed was the sound of a fist crashing into the wall. Her assumptions were confirmed when she heard Riley yell, "Fuck!"

"Five," she called up the stairs nonchalantly.

"Shut up," he called back.

They were referring to the number of holes in Riley's bedroom wall.

"Don't do that it hurts," she replied.

"I got that."

"Then why do you keep doing it?" she asked, climbing up the stairs and into Riley's room.

"I don't know," he said.

"It usually only happens after you spend time with Peter. But you're always together. I'm starting to think you're playing for your own team," she joked. Seeing the look on her brother's face, her smile fell. "Oh my God…you're playing for your own team!"

"No I'm not," he mumbled.

"Cut the denial bullshit, it doesn't work with me. I know you too well," she began. "How long have you known?"

"Since when I met Peter," he said.

"Oh…you like Peter?" she asked.

Riley simply nodded.

"Figures," she said, earning herself a glare.

Seeing that Riley was getting uncomfortable with the topic, she asked him, "So, I take it you're going to want that Mac n' Cheese?"

"Duh," he answered.

"The whole pan?"

"What else?"

Laughing, she went downstairs and grabbed the pan and brought it upstairs, and gave it to him. She was about to ask him whether he wanted a fork or spoon, but then she saw that he was already eating it with the wooden spoon she had used to stir it.

"That's disgusting," she said. He just shrugged and continued to eat.

She laughed and shook her head. She didn't really mind. Nothing he did bothered her as much as she said it did. They didn't have as big of a sibling rivalry as they played out to have. Since their dad wasn't around and there mom was barely there, they had taken care of each other for as long as Lindsey could remember. They were the only family they had, and as much as they hated to admit it, and as much as it didn't look like it on the surface, they were very much alike.

"Ugh," Riley groaned. "I punched a hole into the wall that goes right into mom's room."

"That means you're stuck listening to her and her latest boy toy," Lindsey replied.

"Don't say that. That's gross. And no, I don't. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight," he said.

"Not much of a difference," she muttered under her breath.

She wasn't kidding. Riley didn't really have a room. It was an enlarged version of a storage closet. When they had to move out of their old house when their dad walked out, there were only two bedrooms in the place, so their mom took one and Riley didn't want Lindsey to get stuck with the closet, so he gave up the room and slept in the small closet space.

Later on, they heard a knock on the door.

"Who's that?" Riley asked.

"Probably Jordan. My boyfriend," she reminded him.

Riley groaned. "Don't say that."

"But it's so much fun," she said cheerily, "Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend!"

She left to go get her belly button pierced, as she had said earlier, leaving Riley alone.

--

Later on, when she returned around midnight, Riley was still up, predictably, and their mom still wasn't home yet.

Lindsey and her boyfriend had stepped into the apartment and were about to kiss goodnight when suddenly Riley was right next to them.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Kissing," Lindsey replied.

"No, you're not," he said.

She just glared at him.

Riley sighed. "Fine. I am going to read this section of my history book, which will take about three seconds. Go."

Keeping to his promise, their lips had barely even touched when Riley was right there saying, "Time's up."

Lindsey rolled her eyes, but hugged her boyfriend goodbye and gently shut the door as she ushered him out.

"You're so embarrassing," she told him.

Riley shrugged. "Not my fault the boy's slow."

Their mom came in shortly after, with a guy who was probably half her age attached to her arm. She didn't even acknowledge them as she ran up the stairs with her latest trick to do who knows what. Riley and Lindsey both slept downstairs that night. Yep, they had each other. But it would be nice to have someone to take care of them every once in a while.

A/N: So, they're the suckish second chapter. New chapters of Drama Central and Denial: It's Not Just a River in Egypt Anymore will be up soon, if anyone's reads those stories as well. Thanks, and please review!


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